The Calgary Hitmen announced on Friday afternoon that they and general manager Jeff Chynoweth “have agreed to mutually part ways.” In a three-paragraph news release that was posted on social media, Mike Moore, the teams’ vice-president and governor, said: “Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation would like to thank Jeff for his six years with the Hitmen and wish him success moving forward.” . . . The third paragraph announced that Garry Davidson, who had been director of player personnel, has been promoted to director of hockey operations. Davidson joined the Hitmen on June 10, 2021, after having spent nine seasons as the Everett Silvertips’ GM. . . .
Chynoweth, his brother Dean and their late father, Ed, have had a long run in the WHL. In fact, if Jeff isn’t working somewhere in the league when the 2023-24 season opens, it will be the first time since the 1970-71 season that the WHL will operate without a Chynoweth involved. . . . Ed got his start as the Saskatoon Blades’ assistant general manager for the 1971-72 season. He was named the Western Canada Hockey League president in November 1972 and was part of the league — in the league office or with the Calgary Wranglers or Edmonton/Kootenay Ice — until his death on April 22, 2008. . . . Dean played three seasons (1985-88) with the Medicine Hat Tigers. He spent four seasons (2000-04) as the Seattle Thunderbirds’ head coach, then was the GM/head coach with the Swift Current Broncos for five seasons (2004-09). He is preparing for his third season as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. . . .
Jeff Chynoweth took over from Moore as Calgary’s GM on July 11, 2017, when the latter moved up to his present position and also added some responsibilities with lacrosse’s Calgary Roughnecks. . . . The Hitmen and Roughnecks are owned by Calgary Sports and Entertainment, which also owns the NHL’s Flames and the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. . . . While Chynoweth was the GM for six years, the pandemic wiped out the 2019-20 playoffs and the 2020-21 season. In the other four seasons, Calgary twice missed the playoffs; it hasn’t been past the first round since 2019. . . . Before joining the Hitmen, he had been with the Edmonton/Kootenay Ice since 1995. That run ended when his family sold the franchise. Before that, Chynoweth had worked with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers, Red Deer Rebels and Spokane Chiefs.
Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun has an interesting column right here. . . . He touches on the mess that is the CFL’s Edmonton Elks. . . . He has a bit on what he terms the “unceremonious departure” of the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice and how the players found out about it all on social media. Seriously. . . . Friesen tops it all off with an item about F Brendan Leipsic, who played for the Portland Winterhawks (2010-14), writing a letter to Vladimir Putin — yes, that Vladimir Putin — asking for Russian citizenship. Leipsic has played the past three seasons in the KHL. . . . What a time to be alive, eh?
Louis Robitaille is the new head coach of the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Eagles. He spent the past three seasons as head coach of the Gatineau Olympiques, going 104-38-25. The Olympiques reached the QMJHL’s final four in 2023 for the first time since 2011. . . . Before moving to Gatineau, Robitaille spent four seasons as head coach of the Victoriaville Tigres. . . . With the Eagles, he takes over from Jon Goyens, who was the head coach for one season. The Eagles and Goyens had one of those mutually agreed upon parting of the ways after the season, which is the same way that Robitaille and the Olympiques parted company on May 23.
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TAKING NOTE 